Aircraft

ABSTRACT

An aircraft including a body having a number of rotary lift elements mounted for rotation therein. Each of the lift elements is arranged with a vertical axis and is rotated by jet engines mounted near the periphery thereof. A plurality of paddle wheel lift members driven by air impinging thereagainst are mounted in chutes extending from the bottom to the top of the lift members. The blades of the paddle wheel ride on a rooster tail of air from the bottom chute to create lift. A flow of air above the center line of the paddle moves in against the top of the blades above the center line to also create lift and to cause the rotation of the blades. The top side of the bottom chute creates vacuum for lift and allows bottom spiral blade to turn freely until it passes center line for additional lift power.

[451 Aug. 14, 1973 AIRCRAFT [76] inventor: Stanley H. Richter, 2327 s. Rio

Grande Ave., Orlando, Fla. 32805 [22] Filed: July 29 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 167,165

[52] US. Cl. 244/23 C, 244/12 C, 244/19 [51] int. Cl......; B64e 29/04 [58] Field of Search 244/12 R, 12 C, 23 R, 244/23 C, 37, 39, 41, '70

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,640,489 2/1972 Jaeger 244/23 C 2,397,189 3/1946 Main 244/9 3,572,613 3/197llortet'n'. 244/12 C 3,614,030 10/1971 Moller 244/23 C FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 394,969 2/1909 France 244/23 C 1,162,303 9/1958 France 244/12 C Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant Examiner.lesus D. Sotelo Attorneyvictor J. Evans & Co.

[ ABSTRACT An aircraft including a body having a number of rotary lift elements mounted for rotation therein. Each of the lift elements is arranged with a vertical axis and is rotated by jet engines mounted near the periphery thereof. A plurality of paddle wheel lift members driven by air impinging thereagainst are mounted in chutes extending from the bottom to the top of the lift members. The blades of the paddle wheel ride on a rooster tail of air from the bottom chute to create lift. A flow of air above-the center line of the paddle moves in against the top of the blades above the center line to also create lifi and to cause the rotation of the blades.

The top side of the bottom chute creates vacuum for lift and allows bottom spiral blade to turn freely until it passes center line for additional lift power.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 14, 1973 3,752,419

3 Shuts-Sheet l w am f6.

ATIVAAMYS.

Patented Aug. 14, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. gm/mrflfi/n/rm Arron 5x5.

Patented Aug. 14, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR. Sm/vzzybffi/mrm ATTORNEYS.

AIRCRAFT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to aircraft of the type capable of vertical takeoff and landings and which can hover as desired.

2. Summary of the Invention The aircraft consists of a relatively large body having a plurality of lift members extending completely therethrough from bottom to top. Each lift member is generally disc shaped in form and is rotated within the body by jet engines mounted on the top of the lift member. A plurality of chutes extend through the lift members with each chute having an air rotated paddle wheel member positioned therein. The paddle wheel members ride on a rooster tail of air produced by the bottom chute to create lift while air moving against the top of the blades above the center line also creates lift while at the same time rotating the blades. The primary object of the invention is to provide an aircraft capable of short takeoff and landing action as well as hovering action in a single position.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of theattached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the rotary lift members; I

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures the reference numeral 10 indicates generally an aircraft constructed in accordance with the invention.

The aircraft 10 includes a body 11 having a nearly flat generally conical top wall 12 joined by a generally flat nearly conical bottom wall 13. A post 14 extends between the axial centers of the top walls 12 and 13 as a brace therefor. A plurality of landing pads 15 are secured to the bottom wall 13 and extend downwardly therefrom to support the aircraft 10 when at rest.

A set of stairs 16 are mounted in the bottom wall 13 to be lowered for entrance and exit from the aircraft 10.

No details of the passenger compartment, control compartment, fuel tanks, and other controls and instrumentation have been illustrated since these may be added as desired in a conventional manner.

.the body 11 and are equispaced around the circumference thereof to balance the lift from the lifting members l8.

Each of the lifting members 18 comprises a generally disc shape body 19 having a flat circular lower wall 20 and a generally conical almost flat upper wall 21. A plurality of chutes 22 extend through the lower wall 20 and upper wall 21 of the body 19 to form an opening 23 having a rotatable paddle wheel lift member 24 mounted therein on an axis lying on a radius of the body 19.

Each of the blades 25 of the paddle wheel '24 are arcuate in form and are mounted off center to cause the paddle wheel 24 to rotate as air impinges against the blades 25.

Each of the lift members 18 are mounted for rotation in the body 11 about the vertical axis of the body 19. Conventional jet engines 26 are mounted on opposite sides of the upper wall 21 of the body 19 facing in opposite directions so that their operation will cause the lift members 18 to rotate on their own axis to lift the aircraft 10.-

In the use and operation of the invention the jet engines 26 are fired up and the lift members 18 rotate about their own axis within the housings 17 in the body 11. The bottom chute will create a rooster tail of air on which the blades of the paddle wheel 24 will ride to create lift. Air above the center line of the paddle wheel 24 will impinge against the upper blades 25 to create lift and also to rotate the paddle wheel in its chute. This causes the paddle wheel to move over the rooster tail of air in the opposite direction. The top side of the bot-' tom chute creates vacuum for the lift and also allows bottom blade of the paddle wheel to turn freely until it passes the center line in its rotation. In effect lift is provided on both the bottom and top side of top chute and on the top and bottom side of the bottom chute.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

, 1. An aircraft including a body having nearly flat oppositely extending conical top and bottom walls, a plurality of substantially cylindrical housings extending between said walls'and opening completely through said body, a lifting element mounted in each of said housings within said body for rotation about a vertical axis, jet engine means on said lifting element for rotating said element with respect to said body, a plurality of air chutes formed in said lifting element and sloping downwardly rearwardly of the direction of rotation and extending through said element and providing an opening extending from the bottom to the top of said element, and a paddle wheel mounted for rotation about a radial axis of said lifting element within the opening in each of said chutes.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein means is provided on said body for supporting said body above the ground when at rest.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jet engine means for rotating said lifting element with respect to said body comprises a plurality of jet engines secured to the upper surface of said lifting elements on opposite sides thereof and extending in opposite directions.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said paddle wheels has a plurality of arcuate blades mounted off center on said paddle wheels.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein an access stairs is mounted in the lower wall of said body to permit entrance and exit from said body.

i I! I I 

1. An aircraft including a body having nearly flat oppositely extending conical top and bottom walls, a plurality of substantially cylindrical housings extending between said walls and opening completely through said body, a lifting element mounted in each of said housings within said body for rotation about a vertical axis, jet engine means on said lifting element for rotating said element with respect to said body, a plurality of air chutes formed in said lifting element and sloping downwardly rearwardly of the direction of rotation and extending through said element and providing an opening extending from the bottom to the top of said element, and a paddle wheel mounted for rotation about a radial axis of said lifting element within the opening in each of said chutes.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein means is provided on said body for supporting said body above the ground when at rest.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jet engine means for rotating said lifting element with respect to said body comprises a plurality of jet engines secured to the upper surface of said lifting elements on opposite sides thereof and extending in opposite directions.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said paddle wheels has a plurality of arcuate blades mounted off center on said paddle wheels.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein an access stairs is mounted in the lower wall of said body to permit entrance and exit from said body. 